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The present invention relates to the processing of video sequences, and more particularly to 2-D extended image generation from 3-D data extracted from a video sequence of a natural three-dimensional scene as observed through a monocular moving camera.
Presently video sequences provide two-dimensional images of natural three-dimensional scenes as observed through a monocular moving camera. Normally in order to produce three-dimensional objects or images a graphics generator is required for building such objects or images, which objects or images are then projected onto a two-dimensional plane for viewing as part of the video sequence. Three-dimensional manipulation of the three-dimensional objects or images is performed by the graphics generator, but the results are seen as a two-dimensional object or image in the video sequence.
What is desired is a method of generating 2-D extended images from 3-D data extracted from a two-dimensional video sequence.
Accordingly the present invention provides a method of generating 2-D extended images from 3-D data extracted from a video sequence representing a natural scene. In an image pre-processing stage image feature points are determined and subsequently tracked from frame to frame of the video sequence. In a structure-from-motion stage the image feature points are used to estimate three-dimensional object velocity and depth. Following these stages depth and motion information are post-processed to generate a dense three-dimensional depth map. World surfaces, corresponding to extended surfaces, are composed by integrating the three-dimensional depth map information.
The objects, advantages and other novel features of the present invention are apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended claims and attached drawing.